To apply changes to accessibility properties for a graphic, it must be saved as a symbol in the movie's library. Note: Flash does not support text alternatives for graphic symbols. Instead, the graphic must be converted to or stored in a movie clip or button symbol.

Bring up the accessibility panel by selecting "Window > Other Panels > Accessibility" in the application menu, or through the shortcut ALT + F11.

Select the graphic object

If the 'Make object accessible' checkbox in the accessibility control panel is checked, uncheck this option to remove the graphic from the accessiblity information conveyed to assistive technologies.

To manage an object's text equivalents programmatically using ActionScript, the _accProps property must be used. This references an object containing accessibility related properties set for the object. The code example below shows a simple example of how the _accProps property is used to remove an object from the accessibility information for the movie using ActionScript.

Example Code:

// 'decorative_mc' is an instance placed on the movie's main timeline
_root.decorative_mc._accProps = new Object();
_root.decorative_mc._accProps.silent = true;

Related Techniques

Tests

Procedure

Open the SWF file in Internet Explorer 6 or higher (using Flash Player 6 or higher), or Firefox 3 or higher (using Flash Player 9 or higher)

Use a tool which is capable of showing an object's accessibility information, such as aDesigner2 to open the Flash movie.

In the GUI summary panel, loop over each object which is contained by the Flash movie and ensure the object that was designed to be hidden does not appear in the tool's display.

Authors may also test with a screen reader, by reading the Flash content and listening to hear that object is not mentioned when the page is read.

Non-text objects that are coded to be hidden from assistive technologies are not available to assistive technology.

Expected Results

Check #6 is true.

If this is a sufficient technique for a success criterion, failing this test procedure does not necessarily mean that the success criterion has not been satisfied in some other way, only that this technique has not been successfully implemented and can not be used to claim conformance.